High
by thatswhyyyoudont
Summary: L x Light slash, with Mello x Near, and Beyond x Misa. It is L's first year of high school, and his first party at Misa Amane's.
L had always hated parties. Now he's a high school freshman, he doesn't see why this year has to be any different. So he isn't sure why he is sneaking out with the others, headed by Beyond, to Misa Amane's birthday party. They had had to wait for the staff to go to bed, and so were consequently rather late.

"This is the best time," Beyond insists, who is mostly looking to get laid. "Everyone will be either out of it or getting bored."

Mello snorts, but says nothing. L can understand his being here. Having skipped a grade, like Matt and Near, Mello has taken well to high school, and is developing a loyal circle of older kids. Such kids, and even some college kids, were rumoured to be at Misa Amane's party, so it would make sense for him to try and extend his circle even further.

Mello has brought Matt along with him. This is unexpected. Matt rarely went anywhere. It was enough of a battle getting him to school each morning. Perhaps it is out of support for Mello, or perhaps it is simply rebelling against Wammy's. That was feeling more and more like L's own reason for being there. They were pushing them harder than ever.

Perhaps that would also explain Near's presence. He too rarely went anywhere, and is close to none of them. When prompted, he just shrugs and says, "I've never been to a party before."

Being the youngest, and top in his age group, Near may be feeling the strain even more than the rest of them.

"A not interested?" L asks Beyond pointlessly, as they near Amane's house. There are a lot of cars parked in the street, and soft rock music bleats through the door.

"Said he had to finish something," Beyond says. "I think he's really stressed."

A was in second place in the rankings, second to the joint first place shared by L and Yagami Light. L didn't talk to Light much, but he saw him around a lot. They played tennis sometimes. Although clearly competitive, Light didn't seem to mind sharing his title with L, and smiled at him whenever he saw him.

"I'm not sure if I should still like you so much," he said to L teasingly, the last time L had beaten him at tennis, and L had been relieved when Beyond had yelled at him to hurry and he could duck away.

Beyond was smirking at him now, as if reading his thoughts. "Yagami Light will be here." He lowers his voice so Mello and Matt wouldn't hear, but L suspects Near will.

"Well yes, he is dating her," L retorts.

Beyond is still smirking irritatingly. "Oh, you know who he's dating, do you?" Then he shakes his head dismissively. "Yagami dates a different girl every week. He'll probably have a girlfriend in Canada soon, if you know what I mean."

"What _do_ you mean?" Near breaks into their conversation.

"I mean, he'll have a beard." Beyond says meaningfully.

"What?"

"He means," L said through gritted teeth. "That he thinks Yagami Light is in the closest. Gay," he clarifies.

"Oh," Near said.

Matt and Mello have stopped their conversation and are listening with interest.

"How do you know, B?" Matt asks him.

"Yes, B, how do you?" L taunts.

B is non-plussed. "Don't worry, L. I promise not to steal your boyfriend."

L opens his mouth to argue, but then the door is opened to a wild eyed Misa. She squeals and hugs them all in turn, although L has barely spoken to her before. She is ever so slightly sheened in sweat, and almost drops the wine they've brought for her.

L takes a look around. A lot of people seem to be passed out. Quite a lot of guys had taken off their shirts, and some of the girls. So it was one of those kind of parties. As L suspected, there didn't seem to be many nibbles left, except for a single, forlorn looking slice of birthday cake. He looks at it longingly. Those who weren't completely out of it lifted their heads to regard their arrival. The Wammy's House kids, the foster kids, the geniuses. They were known weirdoes, yet respected for their ability. Their arrival had brought the school up even higher in the rankings.

Beyond was still talking to Misa Amane. Matt had made for the kitchen, were the drinks were. He isn't too comfortable in social situations. Near has also mysteriously disappeared.

As he takes it all in, L notices a girl or two eying him appreciatively. His status is notably high as Yagami Light's rival. He avoids their eyes. He then see's Yagami Light himself. He is with a group of people L doesn't know, and discreetly checking his watch. He is in a fitted black shirt, and the knots in his sneakers are almost identical. He looks wonderful.

Mello is tugging L's sleeve and saying something. L senses it is not for the first time.

"Where the hell is Matt?" he complains. "Listen, L, I need you to come sit with me while I do some coke."

"What?" L's attention snapped back to him. He stares at Mello for a moment, thinking he's misheard him. "You're not _serious_."

"Oh look around you, everyone's out of it," he snaps. "I just want a quick buzz, OK? I'll do it by myself, but I really prefer having someone with me. Please? It'll only take a minute."

And that's how he finds himself climbing over the writhing bodies on the stairs, to help Mello find the bathroom. It is completely dark up there, and they almost slip several times.

When they finally find Misa Amane's bathroom, L locks the door and perches on the lid of the toilet. He looks around with his chin on his knees at all her mysterious girl things, feeling a little bad that her pretty bathroom will be blemished with cocaine and, later tonight, possibly worse things. He tries to ignore Mello, who is unscrewing the pendent on his necklace.

"I stole the idea from a film," he admits, revealing the hidden coke inside the hollow crucifix.

L doesn't comment. He watches as Mello's teeth chatter and his eyes change. Now that he knows about it, it is suddenly obvious. Surely Wammy or someone must suspect?

Mello's hands are so unsteady, L has to help him put his crucifix back together. Then he stumbles out and into the dark without so much as a thanks.

L sighs, and picks his way back over the bodies down the stairs.

He finds Mello soon enough, sprawled on an armchair in the front room. Near is perched on his knees on a coffee table near Mello's legs, like a pet. It is only when L gets nearer that he sees his eyes.

"Near," he says, grabbing his arm. Near's pupils are alarmingly dilated, and he is smiles disturbingly at Mello. L turns to the older teen accusingly. "You didn't- "

"Of course not," he says, dismissively. He doesn't look very concerned.

"I took a pill," Near sings, as if it is the most casual thing in the world. "I wanted to."

" _Near."_ He is panicking now. Mello can take care of himself, but Near is a different story. L thinks of getting him a glass of water, making him coffee, maybe walking him around. Would those things help? He doesn't even know what to do in these situations.

Near was wriggling out of his grasp impatiently. "I'm fine, L."

"Matt needs you." Mello says then, out of nowhere.

L rolls his eyes. "Mello, I'm not- "

"No seriously, Matt does want you," Near says, in his new murmury voice.

Mello is nodding. "He's in the kitchen. He looks pretty rough."

L eyes them suspiciously, but some sense of foreboding compels him to go check on Matt.

" _Watch_ Near, Mello," L tells him, as the younger boy is leaning over the coffee table precariously.

"Yeah, yeah," he says, waves a hand at him.

L backs off, and goes to find Matt.

He ends up picking his way back up the stairs with him. It is a little easier this time, as when Matt groans, "I'm going to be _sick_ ," the legs and arms tangling between their feet part as if by magic.

Matt makes it in time and is fairly neat about it, though he moans piteously about ruining his fur coat. L has to hold his hair back for him. He is not sympathetic. He has had some dreadful times at parties before, but cleaning Matt's vomit from the rim of a toilet is a new low.

He finds an empty bedroom for Matt to lie down in and leaves him there, putting the wastepaper bin nearby as an afterthought.

Then he checks the time on his phone and see's that they have already been here for two hours. He longs to slip out. If only Mello, Matt and Near weren't such morons. He could ask B to keep an eye on them, but the last time he had checked, Beyond was feeding Misa her birthday cake, and didn't look like he should to be disturbed.

Picking his way back over the bodies, L is cursing the invisible or non-existent light switch when someone says, "Hideki Ryuga?"

L stumbles in surprise, and a strong arm grips his own. It doesn't let go.

"Yagami Light." The voice says. "I don't think we've been properly introduced."

They go downstairs, where the light is better, and get a drink, because that is what people do, although L notices Light doesn't touch his. He tries not to look at Near, who he notices is now sitting in Mello's lap. Perhaps there is something in the air here. Perhaps they are all losing their minds

Light looks reassuringly coherent. His eyes are sharp but not overbright. He looks L over, his perfect teeth showing just slightly as he smiles. L thinks he is beautiful.

"I see you around everywhere," Light tells him. "But you always look so busy."

L nods. He not sure what to say.

"Are you having a nice time?"

"Yes," L says politely. "Are you?"

"No," he says, to L's surprise. "To be honest, I'm kind of bored. I hate these things."

L can feel his shoulders relaxing a little. "I usually duck out about now," he offers. "If I come at all. But I'm worried about them." He nods towards Mello and Near.

Light turns to look. "Are they in our year? I haven't seen them before."

"They've just been moved up a grade. Near, that's the smaller one, is on something. I'm sort of worried about him. He doesn't do this kind of thing."

It felt strange to confide in virtually a stranger, but L wants to talk to someone with a brain who might be more familiar with this situation.

Light turns back to face him. "There's some ecstasy going round. Hence…" he gestures vaguely to the sweaty, half naked bodies on the floor. "Misa's on it, too. She was on the same stuff last week. It didn't seem to do any harm."

Light is looking at him now, not at Mello and Near. "You don't take anything?"

"No," he says truthfully.

"Good," he says. "I want to be able to talk to someone with a brain in their head."

Beyond's strange laugh can be heard across the room then, and L involuntarily turns to look. He appears to be getting on very well with Misa.

L winces, turning back to Light. "Sorry. I know she's- "

"It's OK," Light says, and he actually laughs. "She's a nice girl, but it's a blessing in disguise."

L is relieved

Light looks at him curiously. "So what's the deal with you guys?" he says eventually. "I thought you and him were twins until I saw you close up," he jerks his head at Beyond. "He's second in line to the throne, right?" He is of course referring to their joint position on the scoreboards.

"Third," L corrects, thinking of A, hoping he's all right.

"You're brothers?"

"We went to the same middle school." It is not quite a lie; Wammy's practically is a school. "They're the younger versions of us," L jerks his head at Mello and Near. "I mean, they're rivals," he amends quickly, as Light turns just in time to see Mello buck into Near's hand. "And they're top of their age group."

Light snickers. "They seem to be having a good time."

L changes the subject. "How's the term going for you so far, Yagami-kun?"

"Light," he corrects."

"Light."

He shrugs, sitting back in the couch. His knee touches L's, just a little. "It's OK. You know. Same old."

L nods.

"You do a lot of extra curricular, don't you?" Light asks him. "More tournaments and things than me."

L shrugs. "I'm on scholarship. I sort of have to."

"That's good. I mean, it looks pretty intense, but I think I'd rather be stressed than bored."

L finds himself nodding again.

"Why do they call you L?"

L looks at him sharply, taken off guard. Light is smiling like he's laughing at him.

"Hideki Ryuga is not my real name," L says eventually, when Light waits him out and he can't think of a thing to say.

Light gives a snort. "Obviously. I thought it was a joke when I saw the register. What's your real name?"

"I can't tell you."

"Oh? Are you royalty?"

He finds himself smiling. "No. I just can't tell you."

"Why?"

"We all have nicknames," he explains. "Me, Near, Mello…all of us except Beyond, who just refuses. He doesn't tell Light he has been working on delicate political cases at an international level since he was 15, and that it would be dangerous for others to know his name. He leans away from Light to look all around the room. "I think there's some cake left."

Light tilts his jaw back to him with two fingers. "Don't try to distract me," he chides, as L's skin burns. "Tell me your real name."

"No."

"I won't tell anyone."

"I really can't."

"What if I beat you in our next tennis match? Will you tell me then?"

"You won't," L says, grinning.

"How do you know? I seem to remember winning the last one."

"And I won the one before that," L counters. "We're even on the scoreboards."

"Then what do I have to do to get you to tell me your name? I'll do whatever you want."

L feels something new inside him and has to look away. When he has composed himself enough to speak, he says to his shoes, "You can call me L too, if you want to. In private."

" _L_ ," Light says, like it is a real name, like it is important to him. L expects him to turn his face up to him again, but instead he leans in. He kisses L very gently, without touching him with his hands. Then his arms are around his waist, and the kiss is less gentle. "I still want a name, L," he says, when they pull away.

L is a little out of breath, and he almost laughs. His arms are around Light's neck. He presses their foreheads together. "All this for a name."

"You really don't look like a Ryuga."

"What's _wrong_ with Ryuga?"

"Nothing," he says, nibbling his lip. "Which is why I'll let everybody else keep calling you that."

L tips his head back to allow Light access to his throat, and his eyes focus on Beyond. The other teen is watching him from over Misa'a shoulder. His eyebrows are raised. ' _Want a condom_?' he mouths. L rolls his eyes and focuses back on Light.

Someone falls on the sofa then, jarring Light's teeth into his skin. It ruins the moment slightly.

Light rights himself and pushes L's hair off his forehead. "Come home with me," he says urgently.

L stares at him. It takes him a moment to remember why he can't. "I can't leave them," he says, nodding awkwardly at the spot he'd last seen Mello and Near. "Maybe we should just- "

"No," he says at once. "I want to get out of here. Come on. Let Beyond do the babysitting for once."

"Don't you live with your parents?"

"They're not home tonight. I have a sister, but she'll be all right." His eyes are very wide and trust worthy.

It is only when they are going through the hall to the front door that they practically smack into Beyond. He is still holding Misa Amane. It suddenly becomes very awkward. Then Misa laughs.

"We have similar taste, eh, Light?"

Light and Beyond seem to exchange a silent sort of understanding in a glance. He is still holding on to L's hand. L thinks that will be the end of it, until B notices the car keys in Light's free hand. "You're not going home with him?"

Misa seems to be on their side. "Light is really nice," she tells Beyond placatingly, stroking his hair.

He ignores her. "You've just met him," he says to L.

L glares. Beyond has gone home with plenty of people. He has no right to be getting high and mighty.

"I can drive. I've only had one drink," Light says. He lets go of L's hand and to fish for his wallet, producing his licence for Beyond's inspection. "You can take a photo of my address if you want."

"That's not necessary," L says, mortified.

Misa is trying to pull Beyond away. "I've got Light's address in my bag, B," she says soothingly. "Everyone knows Light. He's fine."

B meets L's eyes, and L knows he's won.

"Matt's passed out upstairs," he says spitefully. "And Mello and Near are on the floor somewhere."

"Fuck."

"Sorry," L says, when they're finally in Light's car.

Light is smiling valiantly. "Don't be. It's sweet. We can't have you being murdered." He turns on the ignition. "Let's see if I can get your real name out of you by morning."

* * *

Drugs are bad. Thanks for reading!


End file.
